(Wish Journeys 2-1) Two Best Friends
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: [sequel to Three Brothers] Taichi wants his little sister out of the hospital for good and Yamato thinks he's enough of a friend to help try to make that wish reality. But it's more complicated than that. Especially with other worlds and others - people and not - involved.
1. Chapter 1 - Taichi

**A/N:** And here's the sequel to Three Brothers! New cast of main characters, but I imagine there'll still be the odd chapter headed by one of the guys in the previous book. They still all have roles to play. We're starting off with Taichi, and after that Yamato, and then…well…we'll see where things go from there.

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Wish Journeys 2.1  
 ** _Two Best Friends_**

 _Chapter 1/Taichi_

 **.**

He hated hospitals. And he was barely there for the right reasons. Sure, he'd had a broken bone and a case of tonsillitis but most of the time, he was at the hospital as a spectator. He couldn't even call himself a visitor because there was always some rule or other stopping him. The two person rule or the only parents allowed rule or the strictly no visitors rule or the PPE…and he could never remember what PPE stood for, and why it meant he couldn't visit his little sister.

But there was always a reminder on the door. That disgustingly bright sheet hanging there, and the rack with gowns and gloves and masks on the side wall. And they'd all have to dress up in them, even the doctors and nurses and whoever it was that brought the food. And visitors were a rarity for her, except for them. No-one else cared enough to keep up with the constant stream of changing rules. Sometimes his friends came with him, when they asked and he told them it was okay to visit if they didn't mind looking like Frankenstein.

But even then it wasn't a done deal. Sometimes he walked there after soccer practise to find a no visiting sign on the door. And then he'd go to the roof, because he'd come all that way and he might as well get something out of it, since he couldn't get his sister.

He could pretend he was floating off into the sky, and all the worry and guilt could drift away from him.

That was the story that day – sort of. It started that way anyhow. He'd had soccer practice, and then he'd come to the hospital thinking he'd have to dress from head to toe in plastic…except they weren't letting visitors in. So he went to the roof.

The odd bit was that there was a giant doorway on the roof. And it looked like it had come out of some fairytale.

He thought his little sister would love to see that door. And, better, it was on the hospital roof. Of course, if they weren't letting visitors in, they wouldn't let her out. But maybe in a few days. All dressed up like Frankenstein.

It was almost funny, thinking of little Hikari dressed in those gowns. No way the one size fits all gown would actually fit her. She was too small, too frail. It would drag. It was nicer to think of it dragging like a long cloak, like the ones royalty wore. And the shower cap like a crown, and the mask a veil and the plastic gloves being made of silk or velvet or something rich. Transforming the sick Hikari into a princess.

Taichi touched the frame of the door. It really did look like a castle door.

And it opened to his touch.

 **.**

He was sucked in before he even realised it. When he caught his senses again, he was being bounced along on pink and blue and yellow and green…somethings. Hikari would call them s'mores – but only because she hadn't been to camp and gotten the authentic version. She was in the hospital every time. Though back then it'd been on and off. Worse during the summers and winters, during the extreme temperatures. But now it'd been some months. More trips to the hospital. Less time spent at home.

Of course, he kept up sports and school and friends because he didn't want anyone wasting time worrying about _him_. He was fine, and he'd continue being fine. He hadn't so much as rolled an ankle in the last two years. And, considering soccer, that was a pretty good track record. Catching colds were harder to avoid – and considering Hikari's track record with colds, they were picked up early and given more treatment than they deserved. But it meant he was rarely sick, rarely causing concern. Except for a few hiccups during lunch period – because his parents would worry if he didn't bring a detention home every two months, even if they did scold him terribly for it.

The s'mores bounced him along and dragged his mind back to the present. And when they tossed him unceremoniously to the ground, he forgot about Hikari completely. It was like the soccer field. Someone had tried to slide-tackle him and he'd gone head over heels. Except no-one had tried to side-tackle him. He'd been dumped like a sack of flour to go splat in the grass instead.

'More Chosen already,' said a voice and Taichi looked up. The man standing tall looked young – in his twenties or thirties. Thirties, by the face alone. There was age in it that didn't seem to be mirrored in the rest of his body. 'What is your wish worth to you?'

'Wish?' Taichi repeated. 'Who are you anyway? And where is this place?' The s'mores were too crazy for a castle. Maybe he'd hit his head on the doorframe and entered a weird dream?

The man stared silently. Taichi began to twitch under the gaze. It was like waiting for the results of tryouts, or for the doctor in one of their trips to the ED. And then he spoke. 'Find what it is you seek, and then return here.'

And Taichi found his balance lost again, and he was flailing, trying to get a grip on a world that was suddenly changing. Or he was falling.

 **.**

He woke up coughing up dust like he'd fallen on the field and the game was still in progress. There were whispers around, dancing left and right and up and down, and he squinted into the darkness trying to see. Then torches flared. Torches illuminating four statues. Four animal statues. Illuminating the bits of concrete falling from the ceiling, towards him. He dodged them easily. Almost brainlessly. He did more difficult things at boot camp. At least, he could say that while the concrete didn't touch him.

There were other statues around. And the whispers grew louder as he moved. More distinct. There was a child singing amongst them. Some sort of song, like the ones Hikari enjoyed so much – and Sora too. And Takeru. And Yamato was always playing that harmonica of his so maybe that meant he liked songs like that too. It was only him who had no ear for those sorts of things.

But the rest of what he could hear were just words, so there must be something in the song, he thought.

It was about a forest. And leaves. And croaking.

 _Croaking_!

There were animal statues. Maybe there was a frog.

Then he noticed the doors. And he started pushing them open one by one, until he found the frog.

And then he leapt into its mouth, falling back amongst leaves with a thud.

 **.**

That man was waiting for him. He spat leaves and dirt out of his mouth and stood, dusting off his shirt. It wasn't his soccer shirt, but it wasn't half bad at not catching stains. He managed to make himself mostly presentable quickly enough – except for the hair. He didn't bother with that quite then.

'What was that about?' he asked. He wasn't sure if he should be irritated yet. Depending on the method behind the madness, it might be amusing. They both got a kick out of the western tale with the cat and the girl and the rabbit… Arisu in somethingland?

'A test,' the man replied, interrupting his little spiel. 'To see how strong and pure your wish is.'

 _My wish again…_ Taichi still didn't quite understand, but somehow that part didn't seem so important. 'Did I pass?' he asked instead. 'And what happens? What is this place anyway?'

'It is a place that wishes are granted.' The final question was the first to be answered, then. 'If you're strong and brave enough to realise them. As for your results…' He gestured behind the boy.

Taichi turned around. The s'mores were piled up. Four piles. One was remarkably small. One was somewhere between and the other two reasonably tall – but still not taller than him. He didn't see a scale measuring anything, so he couldn't be sure how well they ranked against each other.

'Warrior,' said the man and pulled a sword out of his cloak. Its blade gleamed. Gold? It looked duller than that. 'Bronze,' the man explained.

Taichi took the sword a little gingerly. He'd never handled a sword before, but its hilt fit easily into his hand. He gave it a few swings and the scabbard flew off. The man watched as he retrieved it, a tad embarrassed. That was like losing a shoe while kicking the ball – like Hikari had when he'd tried to teach her soccer. What a disaster that had been, in more ways than one. No way was he teaching her how to handle a sword when he showed her this door.

'What do I do with this?' he asked.

'That is up to you,' the man replied. 'The hilt has five indentations. Five spheres go in to them, currently scattered through the world. How you find them is up to you. But know there is five for every item like this.' When Taichi did not comment, he continued. 'You may find other children like yourself, searching for the spheres. You may help or hinder them, and they you, but there is enough spheres in the world for you all to realise your wish if that is meant to be.'

'You keep on saying wish,' Taichi said, finally. 'What do you mean by –'

But he asked the question too late. There is a gust of wind, and then the forest disappeared, leaving him to scramble for some form of balance again.


	2. Chapter 2 - Yamato

**A/N:** CampNaNo take 2 - because I didn't wind up getting 100k in two months after all. Still, I'm sure I've got more than 100k left so time to get more progress in! Next chapter will be Takeru, and then Hikari, then back to Taichi me thinks.

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Wish Journeys 2.1  
 ** _Two Best Friends_**

 _Chapter 2/Yamato_

 **.**

Yamato knew Taichi wouldn't be home, but his brother insisted. It was a little annoying, actually, considering Takeru lived across the bay and they only got to see each other every so often, and yet he'd much rather play with Taichi-nii than his good old Ni-san.

Or maybe Takeru had picked up on his boredom and decided a change in scenery was in order. And who better than a best friend? But it wasn't quite the same with Takeru there. It'd be Taichi acting the big brother like he couldn't with Hikari, and Takeru lapping it all up leaving Yamato washed up on the sidewalk…

That was a silly thought, he scolded himself. _I'm stopping it right there_.

They knocked on the door. Takeru tried the doorbell too. No-one answered and the door handle didn't turn either. Sometimes it did, when Taichi crawled home and flopped onto the couch and fell asleep, forgetting he hadn't locked the door. But he hadn't, or if he had he'd locked the door and they weren't going to have any luck waking him up from outside.

Yamato tried calling him anyway since Takeru was tugging on his shirt. Surprisingly, a flat female voice said the number was out of range.

Hikari's room wasn't one of those that required all mobiles to be off so Taichi usually didn't bother. Maybe he was on the roof though, Yamato mused. That wasn't the greatest place for reception. It wasn't too far a walk anyway – and they'd pass Takeru's second-favourite sweetshop along the way. 'Fancy a walk to the hospital, Takeru?'

'Are we visiting Hikari-chan?' Takeru asked innocently.

'Maybe.' Yamato shrugged. Truthfully, he thought not. If Taichi was on the roof, then he wasn't able to visit Hikari that day. He never went on to the roof unless he'd been turned away from Hikari's room.

 **.**

They took the elevator to the roof. There was no point walking up eight flights of stairs after all, particularly when one of the pair was an eight year old and probably couldn't handle all those stairs. So they took the elevator. And listened to its lacklustre music. Even Takeru agreed and Takeru was tone deaf.

He'd also listened to Yamato's harmonica-playing until a little after he'd turned four. So at least he had a better taste for music than wheover'd chosen the song for the elevators. And why there were songs in hospital elevators was beyond Yamato as well. It seemed more suited for a hotel than a hospital.

Luckily the ride was relatively short. People got in and out but not enough so to be grating, and they clamoured out, the last of them, and opened the door to the roof.

It was empty, except for some linen hanging out to dry and a golden gate that looked like it had popped out of a fairy-tale book.

Takeru gasped. 'So cool!'

But Yamato stopped frowned. _Why in the world is there a door on the roof?_ It looked ridiculously out of place. It looked like it led to nothing but the safety railings around the roof. It looked like a prop for some local theatre group play – because it really was too well made to be a school prop. But why the roof? And what sort of play needed a fancy roof anyway?

Takeru drifted towards the door. He touched it, examined it, cooed over its intricate design. Yamato let him, gravitating only a little closer in case it wasn't as solid as it appeared and it fell. But it didn't budge to Takeru's prodding at all – until he plunged his hand through the doorframe and fell through with the momentum.

Yamato gave a cry of surprise and followed, trying to grab the disappearing boy. He missed, and he fell soundlessly into the void, Takeru's name echoing around him until things became stony silent as well.

 **.**

Yamato felt like he was being bounced around. It wasn't a particularly new feeling: sometimes his father was going on week long trips for some television report and would bring the then too young to stay by himself son along. Which meant a week of eating canned food in front of a little camp fire and sleeping in sleeping bags in the van. It was uncomfortable, but not tolerable. And though he didn't miss the food, now that he had grown up a lot more he sort of missed those little adventures, because he'd see the most of his dad in those times.

He opened his eyes. He wasn't in the van at all – not that he'd really expected to be. He was eleven after all, not four – but on a bunch of coloured ball with eyes. Bemusedly, he wondered if he'd fallen into Takeru's dream somehow. They looked enough like lollies or toys to be just the sort of thing Takeru would dream about. Or have nightmares about. But the semantics of that made no sense at all. One didn't just open a door and wander into another's dream.

One also didn't habitually be bounced along a train of yellow and pink and blue and green fluffy things either.

Or be dumped unceremoniously by them at the feet of someone wearing a cloak.

But he stood quickly and without bothering to brush himself off, spat out the million yen question. 'Have you seen my little brother? He's about half my height, same colour hair as mine, wears a green and yellow cap and has a bag full of sweets.' _That he really shouldn't eat within the next month, let alone week,_ he added silently to himself. Then again, it was holiday week with their father and their father could hardly scold them when he did much the same thing himself. Except it was more pizzas and sushi rolls and other takeaway foods as opposed to lollies meticulously wrapped up in wrappers.

But right now the bag full of candy was an identifier and nothing more.

'I've seen him,' the man said. Yamato could see a bit of brown hair beneath the hood. 'He is safe…for now.'

'For now?' Yamato repeated.

'It was his choice to remain,' the man explained. 'As for you, you can choose to go back to your world, follow your brother and be protected by him or take the test for your own wish to fight for.'

'My own..?' Yamato's brow furrowed. 'What do you mean? Takeru's just a little kid and even if he wasn't, he's still my little brother.'

'Is that your wish then?' the man asked. 'To protect him?'

Yamato hesitated a moment, then nodded sharply. Maybe he'd get a straighter answer with that acknowledgement.

'Then you must pass the test for you right to pursue it.'

'Wha – ' he began indignantly. Fight for his right to protect his brother? It was absurd – but the ground opened up and swallowed him before he could get more than the first sound of that incredulousness out, and he landed with a firm plop that knocked the breath out of him.

 **.**

It took him a little bit to orient himself. There was a voice humming in his ears – far better than the elevator music. A voice humming about leaves and frogs – but they didn't really go together –

He frowned and concentrated on the words. It wasn't a song, he realised. It sounded more like a nursery rhyme. Or a riddle. He looked around, in time to see a phoenix statue send a burst of fire in his direction, and he understood. It _was_ a riddle. And if there was a statue of a phoenix – and a wolf, when he spun around the other way, then there was the frog in the riddle too.

He found doors first, and opened them one by one before he found the frog. By then he was a tad signed but not burnt per say, and he made it up the tong of the frog without being burnt as well.

He landed at the man's feet again, and he felt suddenly annoyed. 'What was that about?'

'Your test,' the man replied calmly, gesturing at the ball-shaped creatures he'd, at first, ridden there. They were stacked now. Yellow on yellow. Blue on blue. Red on red. Green on green. The green ones were rather low, he noted. The others were measurable.

'Warrior,' the man decided, pulling something from his cloak. 'Your weapon.'

Yamato stared, but stepped forward and took the bundle. It was a pair of blades, smaller than a sword but larger than a kitchen knife. He hadn't studied enough weapons to know what they were supposed to be called. But when he pulled them out of their sheaths, only one had a blade. A thin, sharp, silvery blade. The other was just a hint.

'Understanding will come in time,' the man said. 'As for the wish you choose, there are five spheres for you to collect in this world: fire, earth, water, wind and either light or darkness. If you collect them all and climb the Tower of Destiny, the Goddess will grant you your wish. Whether you help or hinder another along this quest is up to you – for there are as many sets of five as there are people who pass the test.'

Yamato half nodded, then jerked his head. 'My brother –'

'Also passed the test.' The man made a gesture and the stack of creatures collapsed and became a river again. 'They will carry you to him, and the beginning of your quest.'

And Yamato closed his eyes as he was bumped along again. The creatures had _better_ take him to Takeru.

Though, he had to admit, the day had really taken a twist after its dull start.


End file.
